Three taxi operators have been arrested and vehicles impounded on the closed Paarl/Mbekweni taxi route.
The arrests were made during a joint operation by Provincial Traffic Law Enforcement and the South African Police Service to deal with possible incidents of illegal operations in the area. Route B97 was closed earlier this year to quell violence in the province.
Western Cape Transport Minister Daylin Mitchell says seven taxis were impounded. Mitchell says a traffic officer came under attack during the operation:
“During the impoundment, some taxi operators blocked the road in an attempt to stop the operation. A taxi then drove straight towards a traffic officer with the intention of knocking him over. The officer fired shots at the wheels of the taxi, forcing it to stop. The taxi driver was arrested and charged with attempted murder. Two other operators were also arrested. One was charged with assault of a traffic officer and another charged with interfering with execution of law enforcement officer while exercising his duty.”
“While there has subsequently been relative calm between the two taxi associations that are contesting the route, processes and joint operations have been put in place by an inter-governmental group led by the SAPS and my department to ensure that the agreement signed by the parties is monitored and that the closure is strictly enforced. In the meantime, CATA and Codeta affiliated parties have been participating in a formal arbitration process to determine who has rights to operate on Route B97 and other contentious routes in the area.”
Source: SABC
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